by Johanna Osborne

Luke Waghorn from Played Out Entertainment tell us what it’s like to be one of Wellington’s hottest wedding DJs.
 

Ever wondered what the view is like from the inside? With almost 300 weddings under his belt, well-known Wellington DJ Luke Waghorn from Played Out Entertainment knows a thing or two about running a successful event, in particular when it comes to providing top notch entertainment at a wedding.

After all, few things are more important at a wedding than great entertainment. Besides admiring “the dress”, enjoying the food and sampling the alcohol on offer, entertainment is high on the list of priorities for guests who are eager to have a great time and walk away feeling “wowed”! And what bride and groom don’t want to throw an epic party for their nearest and dearest, which they’ll rave about in years to come?! The aim of the game is for everyone to have fun, and if there’s plenty of dancing, singing and laughter you know you’ve hit the jackpot. And Luke seems to be the man for the job.

In today’s blog he gives us an interesting insight into what’s hot right now in the wedding market. Luke himself is getting married very soon, so his tips below are even more meaningful, as there’s nothing like seeing what a wedding expert does when he/she actually walks down the aisle him/herself! Luke’s upcoming nuptials will be a topic of a future blog, and we can’t wait to bring you all the details on how his tropical paradise wedding goes. Stay tuned for a follow up on Luke’s own big day in a few months!

In the meantime check out part 1 of Luke’s interview today…

1. How long have you been a DJ and have you always been interested in music?
When I was little my dad use to wait until mum had left the house and play his records really loud for us! I have great memories of this and my brothers and I loved listening to “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits, often requesting this song. Of course the deal was that we always had to watch out for Mum’s return, which sometimes didn’t work out so well for Dad. I quickly learnt how to play records and could often be found wearing headphones and listening to music. Dire Straits is still one of my favourite bands.

I started Dj-ing 13 years ago on the night of Halloween 2000, I answered a newspaper job ad for a nightclub DJ as I was trying to scrape some coins together for my rent money. Thinking “how hard could it be?”, I turned up for the interview at the nightclub, much to my surprise that night they called me back as the resident DJ was sick, nothing like on the job training! It was much harder than I ever imagined to DJ for 6 hours to a packed dance floor, however the crowd loved it, I was hired fulltime, and everyone went home happy.

2. How long have you been doing weddings and what do you like about that particular market?
I’ve been entertaining at weddings for the last 10 years and I worked out the other day that I’ve been to nearly 300 weddings! It’s only in the last 6 years that I have really focused on specialising in weddings, and what I like is the chance to provide a service that is unique to the Bride and Groom which gives them many lasting memories. It’s always fun meeting a couple a few years down the track, and they are still talking about the grand entrance or first dance I have helped them with. It’s also an ever-changing market with different ideas all the time which I like to take inspiration from.

3. Current trends in wedding music – most popular first dance, popular song list choices, live music?
The current trends from my perspective are not so much around the music selection itself, most bride and grooms I meet with want someone who can take care of the entire day’s events and create some really special moments for them. In America this person is often referred to as a wedding director and I see this role developing in NZ over the next few years. For me this generally means 4 hours of prep work before the wedding, sometimes with a wedding planner, meetings with the couple and then being onsite at a venue for a good 10 hours. Some of the things I now do are things I never would have thought I’d do a few years ago, for example last week I cued the flower girls to walk down the aisle, and this week’s wedding sees me editing songs for all the formal speeches. It’s now about being creative and finding something that will make a wedding slightly different to the rest.

4. Your prediction for 2013 – the hottest song?
I’m excited to hear Justin Timberlake’s new album 20/20 when it’s released this year. Music is so personal and so are weddings, but anything that trends in the top 40 or the classics that everyone knows are always well received.

5. A trend that’s now on its way out?
I see everything at weddings and each one has its own character and feel, so it’s hard to say a particular trend is leaving us. A couple of things I have noticed is shorter, less formal ceremonies and often now couples will opt out of a first dance.

6. The best advice you can offer a couple in terms of planning entertainment and music?
I think entertainment is one of the most important and under-rated aspects of a wedding, it brings everything together and sets the tone, from the moment your guests arrive at your ceremony through to the last song of the night; everything needs to hit the mark and be timed perfectly. Planning is really important and your provider needs to be on the same page as you. Poor entertainment will leave your guests feeling flat and that will often make them leave early, I think it’s important to budget wisely for entertainment. An iPod in the corner will work OK, but imagine what could happen when you hire a professional with the skills to help plan those special moments and execute them seamlessly. It’s amazing the value you will get from a good entertainer.

7. Best wedding you have ever been to?
One that comes to mind was that of a couple that got married in the Marlborough Sounds a couple of years ago. Everyone had to come in by boat to the beachfront location, it was stunning, everyone feasted crayfish and salmon, and the Bollinger Champagne flowed all night with the party continuing until 7am!

8. You are getting married in Rarotonga in May, congratulations! What is important to you in terms of planning your wedding -what lessons/advice are you taking to heart and applying to your own special day?
Thanks! We’ve planned a small informal wedding on a private beach and will enjoy having a great holiday with our family and friends. I’ve planned a couple of surprises that no one knows about, which will be really fun. My best advice is to plan ahead and don’t sweat the small stuff. As long as you’re surrounded by loved ones and have a wedding that reflects you as a couple, everyone will have a great time.

The famous Luke Waghorn